Feature Friday Ianka Bhatia

Girl Scout Ianka Bhatia’s experience serving as a Girl Board Memberfor Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts was a unique and inspiring experience. According to Ianka, this experience not only improved her self-confidence but also increased her awareness of the organization to a new level.

“When I first joined the board, I was not quite sure what I had gotten myself into. I wanted to meet people who would inspire me and show me different paths to success. I cannot even begin to express how delighted I was when these individuals that I looked up to not only welcomed me, but also took the time to give me advice.

I loved being treated as an adult, something high school students rarely experience. I found that my time as a board member encouraged me to take risks and speak out, because I knew my opinions were valued. Also, joining the board is a great way to give back and improve the experience for other Girl Scouts. I learned many useful skills, from understanding basic financials for a large nonprofit to the little details that are important in designing policies. There is no other organization that can give these same skills to high school students.”

Through this experience and her newly gained self-confidence, Ianka learned to perceive herself as an adult. This summer, she traveled alone to Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa. She stayed there for a month to work with sexually-abused children at a women’s shelter. There, she taught them the Girl Scout principles – courage, confidence and character.

“Girl Scouts taught me the value of self-confidence, and I know that I have the capabilities to be a leader. And now, I am longer afraid to take risks and be one!”